Forbidden love
by Lord Commodore Norry
Summary: The 'inbetween story' I was talking about in The Bond of Love. Rated for safety.
1. proper lady

I glided down the stairs of my family's manor, wearing the latest dress my parents had bestowed on me. Frilly, lacey, a pale blue, a dress any fifteen year old girl would dream of having. I looked over, noticing that my father was talking to a clerk's apprentice, David Mercer. His heart not yet poisened with evil, with a face unscarred, he was the catch of all catches.

David looked over my father's shoulder at me, and grinned a little bit. "Miss Norrington," He said with a short bow. My father, Admiral Jacob Norrington, turned around, and smiled proudly at me. "Heather, dear, you look absolutely gorgeous."

I nodded at them both. "Father, Mr. Mercer."

"Haven't I told you to call me by my first name?" David gave me a quick, goofy smile.

"But it is against high society rules to call others outside your family by their first names." I smiled back at him.

"Well, at least you learned one small detail from your etiquette classes," Father nodded, seeming to pick up on our flirting. "Now, Mr. Mercer, you may take these back to Lord Beckett."

My eyes lowered, smile disappearing. Why did my father want to protect me so much? As a woman, the members of my sex were supposed to marry above our class, and eventually bear our husbands' children. Aside from a few minor difficulties such as disrespect towards my older brother, James, I was trustworthy.

"Good day Admiral, Miss Norrington," David said with a tip of his hat and another grin as He walked out the door.

"Good day, David," I yelled back at him. "Devilish man," I chuckled under my breath as Father closed the door behind me. He glared at me, reminding me that James was pretty much the spitting image of him. "Really Heather, what do you see in him? He is studying to be a clerk, you're the product of high society!"

"Really? I always like to think I was a product of love."

Father rolled his eyes. "All that I am trying to say is, why can't you be like the other girls your age, and want to marry Lord Beckett's son, Cutler? You two used to get along quiet well."

"But He's who everyone expects me to marry! If I set my sights on him, I will not stand out from the rest."

"You are starting to talk like a pirate," He growled. I opened my mouth to speak, but He interrupted. "If you want to talk back to me, consider the remainder of your day spent locked in your room."


	2. arguments

Later that day, I was sitting next to James in the garden as we painted, which was requested by our expectant mother, who had left to get out of the sun. James looked over at my canvas, and chuckled. "So, what have you chose to paint, Heather?" He asked, looking back over at his own artwork.

I was suspicious. James never really seemed to care about what I was doing. "A waterfall. Might I inquire as to what you are putting your time into?"

"Pirates hanging from the gallows. A short drop and a sudden stop."

I rolled my eyes, having heard the expression ever since He first learned how to talk. A few moments passed with silence before James finally spoke up again. "You know, Heather, I'm surprised you aren't painting, oh, you know…"

"I know what?"

"Mr. Mercer? You know, your boyfriend."

I set my paintbrush down on the edge of my easel, blushing. "Really James, when are you going to decide to grow up?"

"Me?! I'm older than you."

"By one year!"

"And one week."

"Big deal. And since you are older than I am, you should also be more mature. And mature boys do not tease a lady about relationships."

"You're no lady, you're my younger sister," James smiled obnoxiously.

I glared at him, took my paintbrush, stood up, and painted a long, light blue line across his cheek. James glared back, ripping the ribbon out of my hair.

"Don't touch my ribbon!" I growled, pushing him.

"Don't push your authority figures!" James shouted, pushing me back.

"You're not an authority figure! You're just my brother. You're not even an adult yet."

"Yes, but mother left, which leaves me in charge."

"She said no such thing!" I yelled back at him, punching his arm.

"She didn't have to!" He yelled back, grabbing a lock of my hair as I grabbed a lock of his.

"Please you two! What is all this ruckus?" Mother said as she came out of the house, holding the sides of her head. She did a quick examination of us. "James," She sighed, "would you mind telling me why exactly you have paint on your face?"

"It's her fault!" James said, violently pointing over at me.

"And did you do anything to provoke it?"

James looked down sheepishly. "I told her she wasn't a lady."

Mother growled a little under her breath. "Now why is your hair undone, Heather? You know that proper ladies never go out of the house without their hair up."

"He did it!" I pointed back over at him. She raised her eyebrows. "Was it because you put paint on him?"

I looked down, and nodded quietly. "But He was teasing me about being in love with Mr. Mercer!"

"She heaved a big sigh. "Heather, didn't your father have a conversation just this morning about being a proper lady? Proper ladies do not engage in physical fights. And James, haven't we raised you to respect ladies?"

He and I sneered at each other, making mother grind her teeth. "Go up to your rooms, you two..."

"But mother!" I protested.

"That's an order." She glared, looking me in the eye. "We will speak more of this later."


End file.
